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Thera 2.28: Bharata
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(148):Bharata Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =148. Bharata= Now when his younger brother Nandaka had declared that he had gotten aññā(as in previous Theragatha), Bharata conceived the idea: 136 'Let us both go forthwith to the Lord(Buddha), and tell him how we have carried out holiness of life.' And he said these verses to Nandaka: ---- 175 Ehi nandaka gaccāma upajjhāyassa santikaɱ,|| Sīhanādaɱ nadissāma buddhaseṭṭhassa sammukhā.|| || 176 Yāya no anukampāya amhe pabbājayī muni,|| So no attho anuppatto sabbasaɱyojanakkhayo' ti.|| || ---- 175 Come, Nandaka, now go we unto Him Whose blessed teaching taught us all we know; And in the presence of the Awakened One, the Chief, Let's roar the lion's paean of our hearts. 176 That quest for which the holy Sage in And great compassion made us1 both to go forth - That Good supreme both you and I have won, And every bond that hindered us is gone. ---- 1 Pabbājayi pabbajesi. Cy. ---- =2.3-8 148 Commentary on the stanza of Bharatthera.= The stanza starting with ehi Nandaka gacchāma constitutes that of the venerable Thera Bharata. What is the origin? It is said that this one was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Anomadssī; on having attained the age of intelligence, he was going, one day, after having taken a pair of two slippers (upāhanadvayaṃ), soft and comfortable to wear (mudusukhasamphassaṃ), and delightful to look at, when he saw the Master walking to and fro, became pious-minded, offered the slippers and said thus: “Let the Blessed One put on the slippers, so that it would be my welfare and happiness for a long time.” The Blessed One put them on for the purpose of uplifting him. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn in a wealthy householder’s family in the city of Campā, When this Buddha arose. His mane was Bharata. On having attained the age of intelligence, he heard of the news that the Thera Soṇa had become a monk,” himself joined the Order of monk, completed doing his preliminary duties (katapubbakicco), kept on doing the deed of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of super knowledge but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “The Blessed One Anomadassī, the eldest in the world, the bull among men, the possessor of eyesight came out of His day stay and came on the path. Having put on (gayaha) a pair of well-made slippers (pānadhiṃ) I enter upon a journey where I met the self-awakened Buddha, the lovely- looking pedestrian. Having had my mind pleasingly pious, I took off my slippers (pānadhiṃ), placed them at the base of His feet and made this statement. O great Hero! O king of Sugata! O Leader Disciplenarian (vināyaka)! I shall gain fruition from here; may that benefit of mine be accomplished. The Blessed One Anomadassī, the eldest of the world, the Bull among men put on the pair of slippers (pānadhiṃ) and spoke this word. I shall make an announcement of him who having become piously pleased offered me his slippers (pānadhiṃ) with his palms; do listen to me while I am speaking. Having come to know what Buddha had voiced, all divine beigns came together with elated minds and good hearts, filled with enthusiasm (vedajātā) and had their hands clasped. This one will become happy by offering of slippers (pānadhinaṃ). Fifty five times also he will exercise divine sovereignty. A thousand times, he will become a world- king; his regional reign will be abundant and incalculable numerically. Immeasurable aeons (kappa) hence, there will become the Master in the world, named Gotama by clan, the offspring of Okkāka family. In His teachings (dhammesu) he will be an heir, a bosom son created by dhamma; having all round understood all the cankers, he will be- come free from cankers and enter nibbāna. (This) possessor of merit will spring up either in the divine world or human world; he will aptly gain the resemblance of celestial conveyance. To me there always become apparent palaces, palanquins, portable beds, well decorted elephants, and even chariots well-yoked with thorough-breds. In coming out from my house, I did so, in a chariot; as and when my hair were cut off, I attained Arahantship. My gains had been well received by me; (my) trade had been well engaged in; having offered a pair of slippers (pāna- dhiṃ) I had attained the unshaken path (of inbbāna). It was immeasurable aeons (kappa) ago, that I made my offering of slipper; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of (my making offering of) slippers (pānadhi). My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, became an Arahant with six sorts of super knowledge (abhiññā), he spoke two stanzas in order to speak to the Thera Nandaka the thought that had arisen (to himself) thus: “Now, Nandaka also had become an Arahant; well then, both of us will go to the presence of the Master and inform Him of our having led the highly holy life,” when the revealation of having attained arahtship (aññā) had been made in the manner said before (heṭṭhā) by his own youngest brother, the Thera Nandaka. 175 “Come, O Nandaka! Let us go to the presence of out preceptor (upajjhāya); let us roar the roar of a lion in the very presence of Buddha, the best. 176 “For whatever purpose the Sage made us monks out of compassion for us, that purpose had accordingly been achieved by us: all our fetters had become destroyed.” There, Nandaka means: an address. Ehi means: the making of him to come near himself. Gacchāma means: the statement for doing what should be done by him to be in the same place (ekajjhaṃ) as himself. Upajjhāyassa means: to the well self-awakened Buddha; indeed, the well-self-awakened Buddha is distinctively a preceptor thus: ‘By means of His universal eye and the eye of Buddha, with His clear observance according as what had become of the living beings of their inclinations, dispositions and so on, He makes consideration of sinfulness and sinlessness of the world along with the divine world; thus, He is worthy of what should be said. In order to show where he wanted to go he said: “Sīhanādaṃ nadissāma, Buddhaseṭṭhasammukhā.” It means: Let us roar in fromt of and in the presence of the best of either the awakened Buddhas or the awakened disciples of Buddha, etc., of Buddha, of the well self-awakened Buddha, thereafter even, of the best owing to being the best of all living beings, the roar of a lion owing to being the fearles roar because of the fact that we are making special utterance (abhibyāhāra) or our qualities according as they had become (yathābhucca); thus, is the meaning. He spoke the second stanza starting with “Yāya” in order to show such a manner as to how he was desirious of roaring the roar of a lion. There, yāyā means: what ever purpose; for the origination of whatever purpose; thus, is the meaning. No means: for us. Anukampāya means: literally; with the uplifting of two of us, for the upliftment of two of us; pabbājayi means: He made us monks. Muni means: the Blessed One. So on attho anuppatto means: that purpose, the fruition of Arahantship, the condition of all the worldly fetters having become destroyed, had been achieved and accordingly attained by us, thus, is the meaning. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Bharata is complete. ----